The Japanese disaster relief expert team which arrived in the country after the deadly floods and landslides, has highlighted the necessity for a regulated early warning system to avert loss of life due to similar natural disasters in the future.
The team which was flown here on to work with local experts to unravel the causes of the recent disaster which killed over 200 and rendered another 70 missing, presented their final report to the Government yesterday.
The team was required to assess the damage in the affected areas and provide technical advice for responsive measures, including secondary disaster preventive measures and recommendations. Along with officials of National Building Research Organisation (NBRO), Ministry of Disaster Management and Irrigation Department, the team visited landslide and flood affected areas in Eheliyagoda, Kalutara and Ratnapura.
The final report was presented to Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Vijith Vijithamuni Soysa and Secretary to the President, P.B. Abeykoon.
Among the proposed measures for disaster risk mitigation are early warning and dissemination, promotion of resettlement away from potential risk areas, proper land use plan and regulation with risk profiling.
The Japanese experts have also highlighted the need for Hydrometeorology and landslide observations to minimise human deaths due to landslides. Hydrometeorology is a branch of meteorology and hydrology that studies the transfer of water and energy between the land surface and the lower atmosphere.
They have also emphasised risk profiling and basin based Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategy and investment in DRR for sustainable development. A similar Japanese team investigated the Meethotamulla garbage dump collapse.